The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-30
TIE CASE or IRELAND

words that were each telling force in the
statement OF the special grievances
that the Irish people OF today
have TO complain Of, not merely In
the evictions 10 which 50 many
hundreds Of thousands were also COM
PEELED TO submit 10 in the past, but TO tho
greater evil, the denial of the right Of
free speech, the denial OF the right Of as
somblage and petition. Every citizen Of
this country, the humblest as well as the
most intelligent, knows how valuable and
essential n right free speech is, and every
ono at all conveisant with the history Of
the United States knows how fierce a
contest was wagcd in Congress
for the right Of petition. They are
among the inalienablc rights Of man 30
clearly and forcibly defined by Jefferson
in the immortal Declaration OF Indcpcnd-
encc. No people can be free who do not
boast these rights, and il almost goes with
out saying that no people can themselves
long enjoy any measure Of freedom who
consent TO tho degradation in this par
ticular Of any other people within the
reach Of their power or their votes.
The Coercion act now being enforced in
Ireland is such degradation. II denies
TO the Irish people the right Of asScmhlacc
TO declare their grievances and counscland
advise with their representatives in Par.
lament it denies them the night e trvc
speech. and makus every man auicuabbe to
every rcsident magistrate. % b. sNzu,insd
in -Srcrt a, the uEyy q sub
magistrate. who Is a. oncr the pruS-
ecuiing officer. the iuiss and iug
and the sheriff b execute ~ Own "a.
tcncc; aid to this the apuiicill,ry visits q
the police, and The Wholc cas- q INLAND
Is complete II is an indictment tia, ~
fair.mindcd Enrlishman can raj without
blush OF shame and a ic,liug that bis
own liberties arr impeulcd by his oou.ssnl
TO 10 gross aud indsiensiblc a yio-
lation Of. the British constitution
Nothing was made more plain 10
the Republicans Of the northern States
during the dark days Of reconstruction
than That the chalicc they held to the lips
Of the iorbcaring people Of the South
might ono day be pressed 10 their own;
aud few Of their leaders admitted, though
slowly, some OF them unwillingly. that no
people can long remain free who
are tho instruments OF dcspotic
power for the cnslaycmcnt or POI
liiical and social degradation Of another
II Ireland can be oppressed, why no,
Englandf II is merely question Of ms.
sumcd necessity and Of opportunity in
numbers Lord Salisbury prclcnds 10
justify himself aud his party by the asscr-
ton tia, the Irish are criminals, and John
Bright sustaining him, dcnounoos
them as rbcls. To this Il can
readily be responded, in the worls Of
Burke, that whole nation cannot
be indicted, and We may add that a nation
cannot rebel against itself nor bc criminal
10 lis own purposes. Both ihose statesmen
arr untrus,wor,hy aud unreliable where
Ireland Is concerned. They arc guided,
where Il Is In controversy, by pre-
objections and passions n old rs thcsc
which stimulated the third and fourth
Georges, When Catholic emancipation wa,
cnuse as urgent "a homo rul,
Is today. They do not speak
Of Ireland with the patience that Is on,
Of the SURF indiccs Of prudent, honest
honorable and reasoning sialcmanship
In, rather under the thrall Of pa,ssiou
and concentration OF hate that blinds
them 10 the jeopardy into which thcy
bring the most inostimablc and pHma
Of all English rights by thcil
cruel, vindictiyc and cmorclcss pur
suit Of longbuiIcring and loo-iorbcar
ing people. And In the samo category
only less influential In the scale, come,
lord Harrington aud Mr.. Go-ohen. Bu
these are les aud Ices cScusahlc. They
admitted the justice Of lrcland's plci
when they conceded, M thoy have, hcl
right TO some sort Of legislative indcpcnd
cncc. Their prcicnsc Of an a-sailment o
the unity Of the cmpirc by Mr. Gladsionc'i
homo rule measure Is Ia mere sham, pro
text bchvd which 10 hide their sham,
and their mcaking treason 10 their party
There Is no present dream Of naiiona
, independence. What the Irish lcadcn
ad,aie for Is local Parliament that vii
coniinc itself TO local airaiS. leaving TO u,
n imperial Parliament the settlement Of al
a international and colonial questions, On,
4 those affecting the army and navy and III,
rvycnue. What Il aimed at "a the ulli
mate Of the contest IL i,domiiyc system
a similar 10 our own, and TO uii
C the people Of the British cmpir
c must como The pressing needs In lcgisla
,. ton Of England and Wales aud Scotland
!, rs wcll rs ireland, will compel thcm &
/ adopt II as the only feasible plan by whicl
n an empire Of 10 many diverse and yarie
\, int,,,,sts ,,,, L., l,,iI ,,....thct la nears an